Tea found to help lower blood pressure
New research suggests that regular tea consumption lowers blood pressure and may help avoid hypertension. A Chinese meta-analysis of 25 randomized controlled trials published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who drank tea for more than 12 weeks lowered their systolic and diastolic blood pressure. According to researchers, high blood pressure can damage arteries, the heart, kidneys, eyes and other organs, so even a small decrease may have a meaningful contribution. The analysis also compared the effects of green and black teas and found that green tea showed most significant effects. Flavonoid compounds called catechins are thought to cause the effects, since they are known to improve the health of the inner lining of blood vessels.